The Gators trailed by one run in the bottom of the fifth. Junior first baseman Avery Goelz stepped to the plate and hit her first home run of the season to put UF in front.
Florida would hold to its one-run lead for the series-winning victory.
The No. 15 Florida Gators (30-10, 7-6 SEC) swept in the second game of the weekend series against the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs (32-9, 11-4 SEC) 8-7 Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for Southeastern Conference Play.
Florida sophomore right-handed pitcher Lexie Delbrey started in the circle for the Gators.
Delbrey walked Georgia senior third baseman Sara Mosley. Bulldogs junior right fielder Jayda Kearney and senior designated player Jaiden Fields struck out while swinging to leave Georgia scoreless in the first half.
Gators graduate student third baseman Charla Echols doubled to right center to score junior shortstop Skylar Wallace and sophomore center fielder Kendra Falby and claim the first two runs of the game. Sophomore second baseman Reagan Walsh singled to left field as Echols scored.
Junior left fielder Katie Kistler and senior designated player Bryn Thomas struck out to leave Florida with three runs in the bottom half of the first inning.
Debris walked Georgia junior first baseman Sydney Chambley in the top half of the second inning. The Bulldogs earned their first run during a throwing error by Wallace. Georgia senior second baseman Sydney Kuma stole home base and opened the scoring for the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs sophomore center fielder Dallis Goodnight singled to center field as first baseman Sydney Chambley scored to close out the top half of the second inning, 3-2.
Wallace closed the second inning with a home run to right center and brought home the only Florida run of the inning to make the score 4-2.
In the top of the third inning, Kuma homered down the left fielder line to bring sophomore catcher Lyndi Rae Davis and Kearney to score. Georgia held the lead for the first time in the game at 5-4.
Florida freshman right fielder Pal Egan advanced to third base in the bottom half of the third inning due to a throwing error by Bulldogs junior shortstop Ellie Armistead. Kistler then singled through the right side and Egan scored the first run of the inning as sophomore catcher Roe advanced to third base.
Another throwing error by Chambley brought Kistler to third base, and Roe to score. Florida reclaimed the lead and went up 6-5.
The top of the fourth inning ended, 7-6, as Kearney homered to left center and Mosley scored to bring Georgia its only score of the inning.
Florida failed to score in the bottom of the fourth inning as Echols struck out. Roe grounded into a double play, and Egan struck out on the play.
Florida senior left-handed pitcher Rylee Trlicek held off Georgia in the top of the fifth inning as Davis grounded out to third base, and Chambley grounded out to second base to leave them scoreless.
Florida picked up the lead 8-7 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Goelz hit a home run to score two runs as senior utility player Sarah Longley scored.
Trlicek defended Florida’s lead in the top of the sixth inning as Bulldog freshman catcher Marisa Miller lined out to first base. Georgia senior catcher Ally Kurland grounded out to second base to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the inning.
The bottom of the sixth inning ended with no runs from the Gators. Egan grounded out to second base. Roe singled and advanced to second based on a throwing error by senior right-handed pitcher Shelby Walters.
The final inning concluded with the Gators’ win. Mosley lined out to center field, and Kearney grounded out to third base to help UF secure the 8-7 victory.
Day three of the weekend series against the Georgia Bulldogs begins at noon Sunday. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Contact Krisha Sanghavi at ksanghavi@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @krishasang.
Krisha Sanghavi is a third-year public relations and economics major. In her free time, she loves cheering on Miami sports teams and spending time with her friends.
